Dispensing pump and check valve therefor



Oct. 7, 1958 l.. L .LERNER ETAL 2,855,127

DISPENSING PUMP AND CHECK VALVE THEREFOR Filed Jan. 25. 195e y United States Patent() DISPENSING PUMP AND CHECK VALVE THEREFOR Louis L. Lerner and Albert Salanolf, Chicago, Ill., assignors to The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application January 23, 1956, Serial No. 560,701

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-207) This invention relates 'to a pump for dispensing liquids of nely divided, readily llowable, `solid materials such as powders or the like and pertains more specically to a pump for dispensing liquids adapted to be mounted on a container such as a bottle, can or the like.

One object of the invention is to provide a dispensing device `of simplied and inexpensive construction which is readily adapted to handle liquids of a wide range of viscosities as well as readily flowable particulate materials.

Another object is to provide such a pump having a unitary, one-piece, molded plastic body member.

Still another object is to provide 'an improved checkvalve construction adapted for use in pumps of the type described.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the drawings and from the description which follows:

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a View in elevation of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section along the -line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

iFig. 4 is a bottom plan Iview of the embodiment shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section on an enlarged scale of the outlet valve portion of the device; and

Fig. 6 is a View in vertical section on an enlarged scale of the inlet valve portion of the device.

As `shown in the drawings, the pump, which is designated generally by the numeral 10, comprises a unitary one-piece body member 12 molded of a flexible, resilient plastic material such as natural or synthetic rubber, polyethylene, plasticized vinyl resin, or the like, polyethylene being preferred. Body member 12 is provided with a depending annular skirt 14 having a screw thread 16 molded on its inner face to facilitate mounting of the pump on the neck of a bottle 18, but it will be understood that any other suitable mounting means maybe provided.

Body member 12 is provided with 'a central cavity 20 which is `open to the atmosphere at the top. Inlet passage 22 and outlet passage 24 are molded integrally with body member 12 and communicate with central cavi-ty 20. An auxiliary inlet tube 27 of Sullicient length to extend close to the bottom of container 18 may be formed separately from body member 12 and frictionally secured within inlet passage 22. The tube may be fabricated at any suitable material such as glass, metal, plastic, or the like. Molded within each passage 22, 24 is a generally conical valve seat 26, 2S, as best seen in Figs. 5 and 6, each 1valve seat being provided with a plurality of circular circumferential inwardly projecting ribs 30, 30 formed of the same flexible, resilient plastic material as body member 12. Each rib 30 is of generally triangular cross-sectional configuration with one face extending parallel to the axis of the valve seat and passage, the other face extending perpendicular thereto with the two faces meeting in a sharp edge. Although the precise number of such ribs is not critical, best results have been obtained when 'at least -three such ribs or steps are present. Also molded in the wall of each passageway are a plurality of projecting nibs 32, 32 which serve as yieldable valve retaining members or stops for retaining generally spherical rigid valve members 33, 34 in proximity to the -Valve seat. Valve members 33, 34 may conveniently take the form of ball bearings made of ysteel or other metal. A-s shown best in Fig. 4, the bot-tom of body member 12 is provided with a plurality of spaced projecting flat-faced lugs 35 in position to engage the upper lmargin of container 18 when the dispenser is mounted thereon, the spaces between adjacent lugs serving as vents for admitting air to the container as the contents are pumped out.

A separate molded dome 36 lof natural or synthetic rubber or other ysimilar resilient elastic material is provided to close the open top of cavity 20 and form a chamber therewith, the lower marginal portion of dome 36 being frictionally seated in an annular groove 38 molded in the wall of body member 12 encircling cavity 20, the width of groove 38 being slightly less than the thickness of dome 36. An upstanding flange 40 provided with an inwardly directed lip 42 is also molded integrally with body member 12 and serves to assist in retaining dome 36 in position.

In assembling the device valve members 33, 34 are forced into passages 22, 24 past nibs 32, 32 to the desired position in close proximity to their respective Valve seats. Dome 36 is mounted in groove 38 and auxiliary inlet tube 26 is forced into the lower end of inlet passageway 22 where it is frictionally retained. The device is then ready for operation and may be mounted on any suitable container. It will be noted tha-t because of the stepped conical configuration of valve seats 26, 28 valve members 33, 34 need not be perfectly spherical. The yielding resilient nature of the ribs 30, 30 enables each valve .seat to laccommodate slightly out-of-round valve members. This makes it possible to use inexpensive ball bearings as the valve members instead of the much more expensive precision-ground ball bearings which are substantially perfect spheres.

In operating the device dome 36 is compressed with a finger so as to decrease the -volume of the `chamber it en- -closes, forcing any material within the chamber through outlet 24 while the check valve in the inlet passage 22 is closed. Upon release of the finger, pressure dome 36 regains its original rounded coniguration, causing the check valve in outlet passage 24 to close and drawing liquid through inlet passageway 22 past its respective check valve into the chamber formed by cavity 20. It will be noted that the yieldable valve retaining nibs 32, 32 in outlet passageway 24 hold Valve member 34 in close proximity -to Valve seat Z8, so that upon release of the pressure on dome 36 valve member 34 will be drawn into closed position by the initial inward ow of air through outlet 24. The nibs 32 in inlet passageway 22, on the other hand, are spaced farther away from their respective valve seat 26 to permit greater displacement of the valve member to ensure rapid lling of the valve chamber. inasmuch as the dispenser is normally employed in Va more or less upright position, inlet valve 34 will be urged into seating position -by gravity as soon as the upward ow of material through inlet passage 22 has stopped.

Although specic embodiments of the invention have been described herein, it is n-ot intended to limit the invention solely thereto, but to include all of the obvious variations and modifications -within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A liquid-dispensing pump comprising an integral, one-piece, molded, ilexible, resilient, plastic body member of generally tubular conguration, one end of said plastic body member being arranged for mounting on a container of liquid to be dispensed7 said body member including a transverse wall forming a cavity at the other end of `said body member, a groove encircling said cavity at said second end, a resilient, flexible, elastic dome having its margin seated in said groove to close said cavity, an upstanding flange integral with said body member encircling said groove having an inwardly extending lip for retaining said dome in position, an outlet passage extending through a side of said body member from said cavity and an inlet passage extending through said transverse wall to said cavity, each said passage having a stepped conical check-valve seat integral with said body member, a generally spherical valve member in each passage movable to and from seating position, radially inwardly projecting retaining members integral with each passage spaced from each valve seat for retaining each said valve member adjacent its respective seat, each retaining member being yieldable to permit each said valve member to be forced through said passage past said retaining members into position adjacent its valve seat but preventing passage of said valve member under normal operating conditions, and an inlet tube attached to said inlet passage extending to a position adjacent the bottom of said container 'when said pump is mounted thereon.

2. A liquiddispensing pump comprising an integral, one-piece, molded plastic body member having a hollow interior open at opposite ends, one open end of said body member being arranged for mounting on a container of liquid to be dispensed, said body member including a transverse wall forming a cavity at the other end of said body member, a groove surrounding said cavity at said second end, a resilient, flexible, elastic dome having its margin seated in said groove to close said cavity, an upstanding ange integral with said body member surrounding said groove having an inwardly extending lip for retaining said dome in position, an outlet passage extending from said cavity through a side of said body member and an inlet passage extending to said cavity through said transverse wall, each said passage having a check-valve seat integral with said body member, a valve member in each passage movable to and from seating position, and radially inwardly projecting retaining members integral with each passage spaced from each valve seat for retaining each said valve member adjacent its respective seat, each retaining member permitting each valve member to be forced through said passage past said retaining member into position adjacent its valve seat but preventing passage of said valve member under normal operating conditions.

3. A pump as dened in claim 2 including an inlet tube extending from said inlet passage to `a position adjacent the bottom of the container when said pump is mounted thereon.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,005,299 Penrod .lune 18, 1935 2,044,629 Parker June 16, 1936 2,250,813 Rea July 29, 1941 2,275,051 Maloney Mar. 3, 1942 2,275,972 Maloney Mar. lO, 1942 2,322,139 Kaelin June 15, 1942 2,690,278 Bacheller Sept. 28, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 340,428 Germany Sept. l2, 1921 

